Is LeBron going to retire? Who knows. The 20-year NBA veteran made it clear that he was contemplating it after being swept out of the playoffs by the Nuggets. However, his final decision remains uncertain. A source told ESPN that they believe LeBron is leaning towards returning to the Lakers. Furthermore, the star has expressed that he would like to play alongside his son Bronny before he retires. Then again, there is every chance that this is it for LeBron after such a whimpering playoff performance.
Charles Barkley has never been one to stay quiet about his opinions. That's what makes him such a great TV analyst. Recently, Barkley slammed the individuals who have defended Ja Morant. However, there's one subject that's gotten his proverbial goat...and it's the NBA GOAT.
Charles Barkley Sounds Off
Barkley shared his thoughts during a call-in to The Pat McAfee Show. “I love LeBron, but he knew what he was doing,” Barkley said. “I don’t think he should have said anything about [retirement] and I was very disappointed… the first thing you said to me was ‘Man, how great is The Joker’, I’m like ‘Yeah man, if y’all quit talking about LeBron retiring, [we could] talk about how great The Joker is!’” Furthermore, Barkley is adamant that LeBron will return. “Hell no LeBron ain’t going to retire,” Barkley exclaimed.
He continued, “I love LeBron, but he knew what he was doing. He knew what the hell he was doing. First of all, he going to make $50 million a year the next two years. He ain’t walking away from $100 million." LeBron is about to start a two-year extension with Los Angeles which will pay him $46.9 million next season and $50.65 million in 2024/25 if he picks up his player option. Furthermore, it's not the first time Barkley has expressed frustration about the Lakers this week. Over claims that the Nuggets didn't get enough coverage compared to the swept Lakers, Barkley said he went as far as turning off his TV because of the pro-Lakers bias. Unfortunately for Barkley, it's unlikely that the LeBron speculation will go away until the future Hall of Famer makes his decision either way.
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